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Thursday, January 02, 2014

Happy New Year 2014!

I am home!!! Ahhh....

We had a good trip to visit my father-in-law in Oklahoma, but I am so happy to be back in my own home. My father-in-law keeps his house at 78 degrees F year-round, so we all sweated through the week! My oldest son and I are always hot because of difficulty regulating our temperatures since CFS. At home, we usually set our thermostat at 65 - 67 during the day and 63 at night, so staying with my FIL is a major adjustment. Even when it is 20 degrees outside (as it was one day this week), we are all in shorts and t-shirts. And the funniest part? We talked my FIL in turning it down a couple of degrees, to 76, and he kept complaining he was cold!

He is 88 years old and lives alone, so it is quiet and low-key when we visit, but he normally eats peanut butter sandwiches and canned goods, so I try to cook a lot while we are there. This time, I made 3 big meals and froze left-overs for him. Try standing over a hot stove in a 78 degree house! Not good for OI!

The biggest problem I encountered this week, though, was that I got bronchitis. The very first morning we were there, I woke up with a KILLER sore throat and congestion. For me, that pattern always ends with bronchitis. Normally, it takes a week or two to get to that point, but this time, I was coughing within 2 days, and my chest felt like it was in a vise. I self-diagnosed and immediately started Zithromax (thank goodness I had thrown some in my medication bag when I packed!). Thankfully, within 12 hours, I started to feel better and the pressure left my chest, so by yesterday, I was in good enough shape to fly home (a long 8-hour day of airports, airplanes, and car rides).

On the downside, you may recall that I just spent months battling yeast overgrowth. I had finally gotten it under control, with Diflucan, supplements, and a no-sugar diet, just in time for Christmas so that I could indulge in a few sweet treats. So, now I am back on antibiotcs, and the thrush is back in my mouth! I am still on Diflucan and all the rest and am now back to the strict no-sugar diet. And I just discovered that my cough drops contain sugar. sigh....

Anyway, it is a new day and a new year! I absolutely love this time of year. My natural optimism shines through with thoughts of all the promise and opportunities of a fresh new year. I won't have much time to myself until next week - my son and husband are at school and work today, but there is a big snow storm predicted for tonight which means everything will be closed tomorrow here in Delaware. But, next week, I will take a look back at my progress toward goals in 2013 and new goals for 2014.

I have had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) since March 2002. Both of my sons also got ME/CFS at ages 6 and 10. Our younger son fully recovered after 10 years of mild illness. Our older son still has ME/CFS and also has Lyme disease plus two other tick infections. This blog is about how our family lives with chronic illness, with a focus on living and enjoying our lives in spite of these challenges.

About Me

I'm a freelance writer who loves to read and cook. My husband and I have two sons, and we all enjoy travel and being outdoors. My older son and I both have chronic illnesses, but we focus on finding joy in every day!

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